NOT satisfied with the statement of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) asked President Rodrigo Duterte to order all regional wage boards to hasten the review of existing minimum wage rates.
In a letter to Duterte, TUCP president Raymond Mendoza asked the President to urge the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) to swiftly move to adjust the floor wages across the country.
"This is to request for your urgent intervention on behalf of more than five million minimum wage workers who are now fast becoming the new poor of our country," said Mendoza.
"We are pleading with His Excellency to urge the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards to swiftly act on the beneath poverty-level wages of our minimum wage earners and provide a just and long overdue wage increase," he added.
The labor leader said having RTWPBs acting swiftly is the best way for workers to get a relief from the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities and fuel.
He said this is because going through the legislative route would take more time, thus allow more workers to suffer.
"We no longer have enough time to legislate a national minimum wage increase to provide urgent relief for our minimum wage earners," he said.
"This is the reason that we are asking your Honor to instruct the RTWPBS to move fast as our workers need wage adjustments just to survive," added Mendoza.
Earlier, Bello directed all regional wage boards to start reviewing the existing minimum wage rates in the country.
This is due to the skyrocketing prices of fuel and other basic commodities, which is worsened by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Parallel to it, the TUCP filed a wage petition, which seeks for P470 additional daily minimum wage in the National Capital Region.
TUCP also committed to file similar wage petitions in other regions in the coming days. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)